Chicken Sambal (One Pot, with Coconut)
User Reviews
5
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Servings
3 people
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Calories
1736 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Asian, Indonesian
Chicken Sambal (One Pot, with Coconut)
Description
Chicken Sambal (One Pot, with Coconut) is a flavorful dish that braises chicken pieces in a fragrant sauce blending sambal oelek chili paste, garlic, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and coconut milk. The cooking process begins by sautéing shallots, ginger, and garlic, then simmering the chicken with a mixture of fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar to develop a rich, slightly sweet, and tangy sauce. The chicken thighs are cooked until tender in this spicy coconut broth, which is thickened and balanced with turmeric powder. Fresh vegetables like tomato wedges, sliced bell pepper, and kale are added towards the end to complement the dish's depth of flavor and provide texture contrast.
This versatile one-pot dish can be served with rice to soak up the sauce, making for a hearty and satisfying meal. The sambal heat level is adjustable by varying the amount of sambal oelek used.
Notes suggest reheating by adding water to loosen the sauce if it thickens too much, and storing leftovers refrigerated for 1-2 days. Using bone-in, skin-on thighs or wings is an option, but cooking time may vary.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 5 cloves garlic peel and smash, fresh
- 1 inch ginger sliced, fresh
- 3 shallot Substitute: ½ onion, preferably red
- 3 Tablespoons sugar Traditionally palm sugar but brown sugar or white sugar work too.
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce Use light soy sauce as a substitute if you don't have it.
- 1 Tablespoon white rice vinegar You can use white wine vinegar
- ½ Tablespoon soy sauce Don't use dark, sweet or thick soy, light
- 2 kaffir lime leaves Crush then add, no need to slice.
- 3-5 Tablespoons sambal oelek Depending on how spicy you want it to be. I used my homemade sambal oelek, but you can also use shopbought (from the Asian market.)
- 1 lb chicken I used boneless, skinless thighs. You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken wings too. The recipe would work with chicken breast but I don't recommend it as it's dryer so you would need to be pretty precise with the cooking time. You have more leeway with dark meat!
- 1 Cup coconut milk If using coconut milk, omit the water.
- 4 Tablespoons water Substitute: chicken brown
- 1 teaspoons turmeric powder
Veggies
- 3 tomato Cut in wedges
- ¼ bell pepper sliced
- 1 small bunch kale
Garnish
- 3 lime Cut in half. Do not omit.
- Coriander Optional
- green onions Sliced, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar.
- Over medium-high heat, saute the shallots till fragrant. Then add the ginger folowed by the garlic. (Garlic burns easily.) Note: If using chicken with skin, you can brown the skin first, remove it, then saute the shallot, ginger and garlic in the delicious chicken fat. As my chicken does not have skin, I decided not to brown it, as it would take too much oil.
- Reduce to medium heat, add the coconut, followed by the mix of sauces, sambal sauce, and kaffir leaves. (Crush the leaves to release their fragrance. No need to cut.)
- Add the chicken followed by the turmeric powder, mix well.
- Adjust the temperature so the sauce is not an a rolling boil.If at any time you feel the sauce is too thick (may happen if your fire is too big and you used coconut cream), add a cup of water or chicken broth. (You'll then either need to cook the extra liquid off, or to add more seasoning.)
- The chicken will take 15 to 30 minutes to cook, depending on size and temperature of your flame. (The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature of the thickest part is 165°F (74°C.)Note: I recommend using an instant read thermometer.)
- You can add the tomatoes and peppers now if you wish, or later if you want them firmer. I add the kale 5 minutes before I want to switch off the fire.
- Delicious with plain white rice, brown rice, or pandan jasmine rice!
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Add a tablespoon or two of water when reheating to adjust sauce consistency.
- Use boneless, skinless thighs for easier cooking, or bone-in with skin for more flavor but adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Adjust the sambal oelek quantity to control the spiciness of the dish.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1736 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1736kcal | 87% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 178g | 274% |
| Saturated Fat | 60g | 300% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 35g | 206% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 74g | 370% |
| Trans Fat | 0.04g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 129mg | 43% |
| Sodium | 1499mg | 62% |
| Potassium | 887mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 20g | 40% |
| Vitamin A | 5722IU | 114% |
| Vitamin C | 104mg | 116% |
| Calcium | 186mg | 19% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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